{% include "includes/auth/janrain/signIn_traditional.html" with message='It looks like you are already verified. If you still have trouble signing in, you probably need a new confirmation link email.' %}

Three Dolphins talking points heading into Tuesday’s practice, the last one of the week before Thursday’s preseason finale against Dallas:

1. Don’t expect re-enforcements to be coming on the offensive line.

Tony Sparano chose a starting lineup early in camp and has stuck with it for the last four weeks. The idea is that, the starters need as many reps together as possible to be confident playing with each other for Week 1 because they didn’t get that practice time this summer during the lockout.

The starting offensive line hasn’t performed well so far, with Vernon Carey and Marc Colombo combining to allow five negative plays in the first half Saturday against the Bucs. Monday, Sparano got defensive when asked to assess the progress of the line.

“I think you guys think that this can happen overnight,” Sparano said. “My watch doesn’t say that. It takes a long time to get a line prepared to play, and defensive lines will be way further ahead than offensive lines.”

Re-enforcements are out there. Former Pro Bowl center Shaun O’Hara, who visited the Dolphins in the first week of training camp, is still available. Former Cowboys Pro Bowl center Andre Gurode was cut yesterday by Dallas.

But don’t expect either player, or any other offensive lineman, to sign with Miami to help fix the right side of the offensive line.

The Dolphins have decided to go with Carey at right guard and Colombo at right tackle, and for better or worse, seem intent on sticking with that combo – even after their brutal performance Saturday against the Bucs.

The Dolphins will probably sign one or two guys to serve as backups after roster cuts occur this weekend. And it’s possible that Lydon Murtha, who missed Monday’s practice with an undisclosed injury, could eventually take over for Colombo. But with this offensive line, what you see right now is probably what you’re going to get.

“We didn’t play good the other night up front, okay,” Sparano admitted Monday. “But I personally feel like this group has come out here and practiced and shown me plenty to get themselves ready to play for the season.”

2. Desperate times for the Dolphins’ front office.

When Stephen Ross said he wants to bring back the “days of Dan Marino,” he wasn’t just talking about Marino’s exciting brand of offense. Marino also used to fill seats at Joe Robbie Stadium, and Ross is desperate to bring Dolphins fans inside his stadium this season.

The Dolphins have a “sellout” streak of 101 regular games dating back to 1998 – we use quotation marks because many of the sellouts involve ticket purchases by the local CBS station, plus the 2000 playoff game against the Colts was blacked out – but even fuzzy math can’t save the Dolphins this season.

Thursday’s preseason game against Dallas is blacked out. Team officials are privately concerned of several more blackouts coming this season, when the Dolphins host Houston, Washington, Denver, Buffalo and Oakland.

The Dolphins, once a model franchise of professionalism, dignity and stability, now have to resort to gimmicks to try to sell tickets.

Ross and CEO Mike Dee have tried celebrity owners, an orange carpet, a nightclub and a new fight song. Now they’re holding “Gator Day” on Oct. 23, trying to harness the Power of Tebow to sell tickets to University of Florida fans.

“It’d be great to just open the doors and let 70,000 people come in,” Dee said yesterday. “But now we need to be creative and aggressive. We’ve got to push.”

The promotion doesn’t bother us too much as a sign of disrespect to the University of Miami – UF has a huge alumni base in South Florida, and the Canes turned down an invitation from the Dolphins to celebrate its 2001 team.

It’s just another sign of how far this franchise has fallen since Marino left town.

3. Daniel Thomas: Philosopher.

Our Quote of the Day, and perhaps our Quote of the Training Camp, comes from Thomas, the rookie running back who has struggled so far. Thomas was chastised by the coaching staff for not practicing and playing hard enough, and played just two snaps in the first half of Saturday’s game at Tampa.

Thomas, who has been gracious and patient with the media, spoke to reporters Monday about his mindset right now.

“I don’t have any doubt about my ability,” he said. “I just got to get confidence.”

Ah, OK. That makes sense.

View Comments
22

Trackbacks

[…] Miami Dolphins Talking Points: Don’t expect re-enforcements on the offensive line | The Daily …Tony Sparano chose a starting lineup early in camp and has stuck with it for the last four weeks. The idea is that, the starters need as many reps together as possible to be confident playing with each other for Week 1 because they didn’t get that practice time this summer during the lockout. […]